France Says Conditions of Citizens Held in Iran Unacceptable

French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot arrives for a state dinner hosted in honor of the Belgian Royals at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, 14 October 2024. EPA/TERESA SUAREZ
French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot arrives for a state dinner hosted in honor of the Belgian Royals at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, 14 October 2024. EPA/TERESA SUAREZ
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France Says Conditions of Citizens Held in Iran Unacceptable

French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot arrives for a state dinner hosted in honor of the Belgian Royals at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, 14 October 2024. EPA/TERESA SUAREZ
French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot arrives for a state dinner hosted in honor of the Belgian Royals at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, 14 October 2024. EPA/TERESA SUAREZ

France's foreign ministry said on Thursday the conditions that three of its nationals were being held hostage in by Iran were unacceptable, and that Paris continued to work to secure their immediate release.
Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot met the families of the three citizens on Thursday, deputy spokesperson Pascal Confavreux said in a statement, adding that they were being "held hostage."

In recent years, Iran's Revolutionary Guards have arrested dozens of dual nationals and foreigners, mostly on charges related to espionage and security.

Rights groups have accused Iran of trying to extract concessions from other countries through such arrests. Iran, which does not recognize dual nationality, denies taking prisoners to gain diplomatic leverage.



UN Seeks Probe into Reported Mass Killing of Afghans Migrating to Iran

Iranians drive past an anti-Israeli billboard with a sentence reading in Persian and Hebrew, 'Israel is no longer a safe place for living' at the Palestine Square in Tehran, Iran, 16 October 2024. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH
Iranians drive past an anti-Israeli billboard with a sentence reading in Persian and Hebrew, 'Israel is no longer a safe place for living' at the Palestine Square in Tehran, Iran, 16 October 2024. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH
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UN Seeks Probe into Reported Mass Killing of Afghans Migrating to Iran

Iranians drive past an anti-Israeli billboard with a sentence reading in Persian and Hebrew, 'Israel is no longer a safe place for living' at the Palestine Square in Tehran, Iran, 16 October 2024. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH
Iranians drive past an anti-Israeli billboard with a sentence reading in Persian and Hebrew, 'Israel is no longer a safe place for living' at the Palestine Square in Tehran, Iran, 16 October 2024. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH

The United Nations' mission in Afghanistan called on Thursday for an investigation into reports that a large group of Afghan migrants had been shot and killed on the Afghanistan-Iran border.
Afghan media outlets including Tolo News, citing witnesses, said more than 200 Afghan migrants who entered Iran illegally were attacked on Iranian territory, and that dozens had been killed and injured.
Iran's ambassador to Afghanistan, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, denied the reports of the "death of dozens of illegal nationals" in a post on X.
Tolo News quoted an "Iranian human rights organization" saying that Iranian border guards had attacked the migrants.
Afghanistan's Taliban-run administration has not confirmed the incident and said it was investigating.
The United Nations' Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in a statement expressed "deep concern over disturbing reports of an incident on 14 to 15 October in Sistan province, Sarbaz district, Kala Gan border area of Iran, with allegations that a large group of Afghan migrants were opened fire on, resulting in deaths and injuries."
It did not make any reference to who might have carried out the alleged attack.
UNAMA called for a "thorough and transparent" investigation into the alleged incident, stressing that the rights of migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers are protected by international law.
Afghanistan authorities have been unable to confirm the incident because it happened "beyond Afghanistan's borders," deputy spokesman of the government Hamdullah Fitrat said in a statement.
He said a high-ranking delegation with officials from the interior, foreign and defense ministries had begun an investigation and would submit a report once the facts were clear.